To Meet A Krios
by Emily Carver
Summary: This will be my first attempt at making a Thane/Femshep romance. Ahem... In the beginning, Thane was just an assassin with a struggling relationship with his son. Shepard was a woman who was lost and broken after Kaidan rejected her. Both were brought together by the Illusive Man to be just crew mates. Neither expected to fall in love on a supposed "suicide mission". Rated T now.
1. Nassana and The Assassin

**Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this! This will be my first story ever for Mass Effect! I hope you like it! ENJOY! My First Mass Effect Story with My Shepard!**

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**Nassana and The Assassin**

After dealing with the mercenaries, Commander Julie Shepard stood before Nassana Dantius' door. Looking behind her, she could see Garrus and Jack following close behind her. While entering the office quietly, she examined her new surroundings. A simple office with a beautiful view showing them the sights of Nos Astra. The sun seemed to illuminate with it's marvelous setting rays. Without becoming too enthralled in the view behind the Asari in front of her, she approached. Without even bothering to stare Shepard's direction, Nassana began to speak with a calming voice.

"Shepard? But...You're dead." Stated the Asari as she turned her body fully around. The commandos by her side raising their guns towards the living and quite breathing figure of Shepard. She could not seem to hide the smirk that had formed on her face as she stepped forward.

"I got better." The tone of her voice stated no sense of worry or fear that she was being held at gunpoint. Obviously, the human did not seem to care since she's had guns pointed towards her plenty of times before. Why would this encounter phase her? That would simply be an embarrassment. Nassana seemed unimpressed by Julie's unfaltering attitude. With a shake of her head she stared towards the commander once more.

"And now you are here to kill me. Is that not true?" The question almost came out as a statement. The other two commandos in the room reloaded their guns, ready to fire at the given command. Jack and Garrus instantly pulled out their weapons. In one hand, Jack had her biotic abilities at the ready while in the other, her gun fully loaded to kill all four of her enemies. Garrus seemed ready to pull the trigger; not a hint of remorse shown on his face. Shepard wrapped her arms across her chest, not feeling the need to pull her gun.

"You must be _really _paranoid, aren't you?" Her smirk never falling as she spoke. Shepard was sincerely considering just shooting Nassana and being done with the matter. Unfortunately, she was not here for Dantius, she was here for the assassin. Judging by what the workers had said to her previously, he had been here on a mission to eliminate the woman standing before her. Yet, nobody seemed to be here doing the killing. An almost disappointing matter for her. She really hoped this wouldn't be a wasted recruit mission if the man she was after turned up dead. Then again, this assassin must be swift, seeing as the workers said that they had seen him and then he had just "vanished".

Nassana dismissed Julie's rather rude comment with a wave of her blue hand. The long dress she was wearing following her as she turned her gaze back towards the massive windowpanes. By now, the blue female seemed to be growing rather annoyed by the human's presence in her office. She just wanted to obliterate her right away.

"Don't try to patronize me, Shepard." She hissed towards the commander. Once more, Shepard seemed to be not amused by her actions. More displeased than amused.

"Charming as ever I see." Jack managed to stifle a chuckle at Shepard's remark. Nobody had noticed it luckily. She had always appreciated Shepard's somewhat bad-ass attitude. She just _really_ hoped that this would get a shitload more interesting. The Asari female quickly snapped her head to face Shepard once more.

"I bet you find this all very ironic. First, you eliminate my sister, and now you are here to eliminate me." Nassana stated this with such amusement that caused her to chuckle darkly at her own sick humor. Shepard just rolled her eyes, seemingly with slight annoyance. The woman turned to the trio once more, this time her arms wrapped across her chest.

"Well, you made it this far. What now?" After all of the trouble she had just gone through, Nassana really thought that Julie was after _her_?! That was funny. Removing her arms from her chest, Shepard merely shook her head in disagreement.

"You honestly think I am here to kill you?" And of course, Dantius spoke with quick haste.

"You have another reason for destroying my facility? Decimating my security? If you do, I am glad to here this explanation." The asari commandos kept their guns trained on the group. Shepard simply cracked her neck and rolled her shoulders before replying to the questions.

"To answer the first one, yes I do. This company is unjust. Telling your own staff that they are _expendable_ is just wrong! Something so pathetic would only come from a kind of woman like you. Killing your night workers...I'll never understand. As for the second question...well, it should be quite simple. Your security attacked us when this really could have been a simple chat. Yet you had to make this more difficult by attacking innocents and almost killing a man's brother. Honestly, you are ruthless. And as for the last question..." Shepard took a breath and shook her head before continuing.

"I'm just looking for someone." This made the Asari female laugh. Such an excuse she knew would come from such a benevolent woman such as herself. It made her sick to her stomach. It was an annoyance to see such a woman stand before her.

"You really expect me to believe that?! Is it credits?! Is that what you want?" As every question was breathed, Dantius approached the trio with much anger. However, they remained unfazed by her reaction. However, she let the woman rant on.

"Just tell me your price. We can make this problem go away..." The woman was now bargaining credits in an attempt to save her own blue hide. Now that was just incredibly pathetic. Shepard approached more and heard the click of the commandos' guns aiming at her forehead.

"All the credits in the world won't make this problem go away, Nassana. Bargaining is not helping you this time." It almost seemed like she was threatening the woman but she really was not. Hell, even Garrus and Jack both knew the commander wasn't threatening the asari female. But they highly doubted she would take this lightly. The expression on her face showed that Ms. Dantius felt threatened by Julie's comment.

"Who the hell gave you the right to play god?!" Anger infused every single word as she said them through gritted teeth. The female turned away, staring outside at the sights of the capital below her and the sun before her. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Opening her eyes again, she smiled and turned back towards the group. Walking towards them again, she spoke.

"I may not be perfect, but look at you." As she talked, she made a gesture towards Shepard with her hands. She let the woman continue.

"We both kill people for money. What's the difference?" This made Shepard mad. How dare this woman compare Commander Julie Shepard to practically a Crime Lord?! Fuming, she spoke her mind with seriousness.

"You kill people because _you_ think they're beneath you; they're in your _way_. I kill people when they leave me no choice. I don't do it out of cold blood." This stumped Nassana. She did make a good and valid point. However, she was not going to let some valid statement eliminate the fact that this woman had most likely decimated her entire business.

"You've got a choice. Everyone does. You don't have to do this. I can tell you..." Just before another word was spoken, one of her commandos gasped and raised their gun towards the ventilation shaft. Julie had heard the noise as well and lifted her head slightly away from the Asari. Nassana snapped her attention towards the guards and glared angrily before vocalizing her anger.

"What?!" The Asari commando hesitated with the response as she looked around the room for the assailant. Now that she had gained a bit of her confidence again, she spoke.

"I heard something." With one look at her leader, she could see the angered expression on her face. Nassana slammed her slender, ocean blue fists onto her desk and swore.

"Damn it! Check the other entrances!" The order given, the commandos spread out slightly. Little did they know that the assassin had opened up the bars from his little hiding spot and Shepard, Jack and Garrus were the only ones who seemed to notice.

"And you...Stay put." Just as she said those words, the assassin jumped from his perch and landed quietly behind one of her commandos. She picked up her gun and stared at Shepard.

"When I am finished dealing with this nuisance, you and I are going to..." As she spoke, the assassin cracked the first commandos neck and then hit the second in a deadly pressure point. The third readied her gun but was thrown back by his skilled biotics. Nassana went to turn her head to see the attacker but was only caught by his strong arms and had her gun now pressed towards her stomach.

"Who...AGH!" Before she could get her chance to speak, he put a bullet straight through her stomach. Nassana began to gag and sputter. Her body fell against his has he held her close. He seemed to close his eyes and gently lay Nassana' now lifeless body on her desk, closing her eyes in the process. Once she was set on the table, the man stepped back, closed his eyes and place his hands together. He seemed to be praying. _Was he praying for Nassana? She doesn't really deserve it..._ This thought crossed her mind as the man remained silent.

"Quite the entrance." Jack mused. Garrus seemed to agree with her statement.

"Yeah...That was impressive. You certainly know how to make an entrance." Garrus added as he lowered his assault rifle. Shepard was impressed. No wonder the Illusive Man picked him for the job in the dossier. Quite a charming pick. Shepard walked slowly forward, almost strutting, towards the desk.

"I was hoping to talk with you, Thane is it?" He remained quiet as she spoke. She wondered if he was ignoring her before he spoke.

"I am Thane...But I must apologize, but prayers for the wicked must not be forsaken." Thane simply replied without staring towards her. He seemed to be too involved in the prayer. Commander Julie Shepard shook her head, seeing that prayer was not necessarily deserved for the corrupt woman sprawled about her desk.

"Do you really think she deserves it?"

"No...Not for her. For me." This definitely confused her. Why would this man pray for himself? He had done nothing wrong but kill a criminal. There was no need for prayer to be involved. Before she could ask of why he would do this, he spoke once more.

"The measure of an individual can be difficult to discern by actions alone. Take you, for instance. All this destruction...chaos." As he spoke with a smooth voice, he moved across the room. She seemed so enthralled by the power of his calming and soothing voice. Julie was unsure as to why she was so into the way he spoke; the way he moved. However, she shook those thoughts from her mind and kept her game face on. Thane seemed to have more on his mind so he continued his little speech.

"I was intrigued by how far you'd go to find me...Well, here I am." Thane finished with a slightly angered look that seemed to fade in an instant. Garrus and Jack exchanged glances and exited the room to check for any surviving mercenaries.

"I do want to talk to you but...How did you know I was here?" It was as if she had stated the obvious. With all the noise she had created just to get to the penthouse was quite loud. It was a guarantee that the workers had heard it much less and assassin who was already inside the building. As if restating what her mind had been thinking, he answered her obvious question.

"Gunfire and explosions. I prefer to work quietly. If I have to fight through guards, I've made a mistake. I rarely make mistakes." Thane responded simply, his tone never faltering in the slightest. He walked past her, his hand brushing against hers for but a moment. This sent shivers down her spine as he stared at the wall behind her.

"You may have disrupted my initial plan, but your distraction eventually proved quite valuable." This caused a slight anger to rise inside her. He basically used them as bait to lure the fish...It had worked in his favor apparently. She felt like arguing over the matter but decided against it. The Collectors were of a more urgent concern to all of the universe. So she decided to cut to the chase.

"Let's cut to the chase. I need you for a mission."

"Indeed?"

"You're familiar with the Collectors?"

"By reputation..." Thane replied as he walked back towards the windows. Shepard followed him and was right by his side. He glanced her direction before facing the window. She crossed her arms before speaking once again.

"They're abducting entire human colonies. Freedom's Progress was their handiwork." With that statement, he stared towards the ground, contemplating on this statement.

"I...see."

"We're going after them." He snapped his head her direction with an unsure expression. She managed to catch a glimpse of his second eyelids. An interesting feature that all humans don't have.

"Attacking the Collectors would require passing through the Omega 4 relay. No ship has ever returned from doing so." Shepard snorted.

"They told me it was impossible to get to Ilos, too." This earned a chuckle from the Drell.

"A fair point. You've built quite a career on performing the impossible. However...This was to be my last job..." Thane hesitated as he readied himself to speak what was next.

"I am dying..." Guilt and concern washed over Julie as she stared at Thane. He was dying yet he had so much energy left in him. Hell, Shepard had experienced the pain of dying but she was rebuilt. Thane on the other hand...He would be gone. Long gone with no second chances...But maybe she could find a way to convince the Illusive Man to help this man. IF he wished to join her.

"Low survival odds do not concern me. The abduction of your human colonists does." Despite his concern for the colonists, to which she was glad for, she wished to help him.

"I wasn't informed of your illness. Is there anything I can do?" Thane simply shook his head at her offer to help.

"Giving me this opportunity is enough...The universe is a dark place. I am trying to make it brighter before I die..." Thane admitted in but a whisper. As she stared at the man further, she could see the way the sun's light reflected off his green skin. He looked handsome in the golden light. A blush threatened to creep up on her face but she quickly eliminated it by rubbing her cheek. Thane turned towards her just as she lowered her hand. He seemed to quirk an eyebrow before continuing.

"Many innocents died today. I wasn't fast enough, and they suffered. I must...atone for that." Shepard saw the pain etched in his face. She gently placed a hand on his leather-clad shoulder before speaking.

"You shouldn't blame yourself for those who died. It was Nassana who was to blame. But you showed justice by eliminating her. I'd say that is enough." Thane lowered his head to stare at the floor. She felt his breathing pattern increase in the slightest. He then raised his head to look towards her. He seemed to have a small smile on his face.

"I understand your method of thinking but...I was trained to atone to pray for forgiveness after taking out one of my targets...But I thank you for the words of generosity." Thane answered with a smile.

"But nonetheless, I am honored to be able to work for you Commander Shepard. For no charge." Thane finished as he took her free hand and shook it. She shook it right back. Now that she had completed her mission, she exited the office of the formerly living Nassana Dantius with her assassin with a smile.

This would be the start of a beautiful relationship.

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**Okay so how was it? Good, no? Give me some tips to help me improve my writing. I would greatly appreciate it! I shall update this little fic if this gets...**

**3+ REVIEWS!**

**So I hope you stick around and remember this...**

**Don' .Bitten.**


	2. An Interesting Conversation

**Author's Note: Hey guys! I am really excited to be continuing this. However, I do wish this gets more reviews...Oh well! Onto the fun part of our little story. ENJOY!**

**Julie Shepard: You'd best enjoy this or I'll-**

**Me: ONTO THE SHOW!**

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**An Interesting Conversation**

_Shepard,_

_I wish to speak with you at a moment's notice. There are some...urgent matters that I wish to discuss with you. Whenever you receive this, please come to Life Support. I shall be awaiting your arrival. _

_Thane Krios_

He relaxed after sending the message to his commanding officer. Thane felt that he needed to give her further insight as to the condition of his Kepral's Syndrome. The disease was not a kind one since it could kill him any day now. Then again, he went on missions that could possibly kill him at any point. He stared towards his room that he was slowly becoming accustom to. It was dull and metallic. He would expect this being on a ship made with metal. Scanning his room until the end of the mission he had been recruited for.

Thane glanced downwards at his hands thinking over the reactions he had seen. He was aware the crew had been staring at him. It was clear that he did not have the best running reputation. After all, he was trained to be an assassin. Turning his head slightly to the right to stare at his weapons lining the wall.

His thoughts began to wander as he felt as though he would've been more informant when he typed out his message. Or he should have approached her directly. Fortunately for Thane, he did not need to ponder long on what he should have done. The commander herself entered through the Life Support door and stepped inside. He did not glance her direction as she spoke.

"I got your message. You wanted to speak with me?" Shepard asked him casually. Thane was actually quite amused by how informal she seemed about the matter. _ Have I truly gained her trust this quickly?_ He decided to voice his question.

"You sound informal Commander. Have I already earned your full trust?" Still not even taking a short glance her direction, Thane could tell she was smiling. A chuckle followed shortly after his opinionated question.

"Well, I wouldn't say you earned my _full _trust but you have earned the same amount like the rest of the crew." Her reply came out simple, yet he found it calming. Which was odd.

"So, what did you need to speak to me about, Thane?" Now that she had passed him, Thane could see her completely. Her hair was a flowing mass of hazel with almond streaks. The tips of her hair just reaching her waist. Her eyes a minty hue of green with a soft ocean like mixture of blue. Her clothing seemed that of her own personal selection. A neatly and possibly recently pressed garnet v-neck shirt fell over her torso with a denim navy blue short jacket. Her legs were concealed beneath the confines of raven black jeans. Simple shoes covered her feet. His eyes widened just a small bit seeing her in such casual attire.

He had only been aboard the ship a few days. It was taking Thane some time to become fully comfortable with his new environment. Having lived on Illium for two years made him used to being there for that length in time. The well-known environment of Illium to the untold masses of the Normandy SR-2. The room considered to be Life Support was his new home. It made him wonder where his commanding officer came from. Perhaps she was raised on the human homeworld Earth? Or she was raised on spaceships and would move consistantly. Another possibility would be the consideration of his commander originating as a colonist on a distant human colony. Then there were the wonders of her having any living family...A cough his direction snapped him out of his deepening thoughts.

Realizing she was still awaiting a response, he cleared his throat.

"Right. I requested that you see me because you must be aware of the fact that I am...dying." Thane awaited patiently for her response. Most people he had told about his condition always worried over him. They would suggest medical help and ways to make him more comfortable before his time to cross the sea. Thane could clearly remember the expressions of guilt or pity. Sometimes sympathy would be given.

However, every time they pleaded or demanded that they help, he would politely and calmly refuse. Thane did not need others to feel sorry about his slowly approaching death. He just wished to spend his last amounts of free time making the world a better place. Hanar were making an attempt to create a cure for Kepral's Syndrome. However, Thane himself would most likely have passed before they could have a time of eureka. A time for it to begin taking it's first official steps into maturity.

"Your time must be slowly running out, huh?" Shepard asked calmly. This surprised the assassin. Her reaction differed from that of anyone else he had told. No pity, no guilt or even sympathy. Though oddly hesitant, he continued.

"Yes...Though despite the best efforts of the Hanar, I may die before their possible cure bears fruit."

"Do you have family? Someone to...see you before that point?" Her question made him freeze. _Family...Kolyat..._ His thoughts traveled to his relationship with his son. He had not seen him since...since the passing of Irikah. Thane felt memories he had wished to suppress begin to creep to the front. The times he had spent with his late wife were wonderous memories to hold and to treasure. However, it had come to an abrupt and rather permanent stop when she was murdered. Irikah was the woman who had brought him out of her battle-sleep. A slumber in which he allowed his contractors to use his body to fufill their need to eliminate the target. After she was killed, he pursued the killers. Normally, he was taught to bring quick and painless death. But with them...

He let them linger and suffer.

Almost immediately, the memories came back in a flurry. They were furiously attempting to move to the front of Thane's mind. Quickly, he stopped thinking about her. This was not the right time nor appropriate place to think about her. Instead of reminiscing in those memories, he answered her.

"I have a son. His name his Kolyat. Our relationship has been rather...distant." Thane could now see the sadness in her eyes. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that last sentence. It caused wonder and curiousity to spark in the female's eyes. Suddenly, she turned away from his obsidian stare and began to survey the area behind the glass window. The core of the ship. Vast energy waves seem to transpire and flow away from the core before evaporating into thin air. Her hands balled into fists before loosening back into open palms. Her skin, in the dim lighting of the room, appeared to glow. Thane took every last drop of the view in front of him before hearing her voice once more. A sight to behold.

"You mean you've lost contact?" Her voice came out in but a whisper. It seemed to hurt her in some way. A possibility would be that she had grown distant with someone herself. Now Thane's curiousity heightened.

"Did you per chance, become distant with someone as well, Shepard?" Julie Shepard's head snapped towards him, causing him to jump back slightly in surprise. Her eyes seemed to intently glare towards him before she started towards the door. It must have been a too personal topic to ask. Thane felt embarrassed and idiotic at that moment and was going to apologize to her when she froze at the opened door. Turning her head slightly, she answered the question with one word that left Thane to think.

"Yes."

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**SO?! How was this for a second chapter?! So I basically did this through Thane's perspective and tried to make it a little more interesting. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. Leave a review and you may receive more soon!**

**Julie Shepard: Not bad Carver. I might recruit you.**

**Me: No thanks Shepard. I'd rather stick to my writing career. You stick to your fighting career.**

**Shepard: Suit yourself. *walkes away***

**Now remember folks...**

**Dont.**

**Get.**

**Bitten.**


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